ee 
{) “265 °] 
foon as this fit of phrenzy fubfides, ftupefaction 
enfues; when he finks down into a ftate of total 
infenfibility, during which the mind remains a 
complete blank. 
What a humiliating fpectacle is here! How fit 
to infpire compaffion, contempt, refentment, and 
horror! Well might the Spartans exhibit their 
flaves in this terrible ftate of difguife, the more ef- 
fetually to deter their fober youths from drunken- 
nefs. For in this unfortunate condition, man, lately ~ 
the fovereign among the creatures, is fuddenly 
transformed into the moft helplefs, odious, and 
difgufting animal in the creation! 
Drunkennefs, obferve, is not to be confidered asa 
mere fimple vice, fince in this one moft others are 
included. Sobriety, the main guardian of virtue, 
being once banifhed, a direct avenue is opened to 
every {pecies of vice. Of this anadmired moralift 
relates an affecting inftance. A certain amiable 
youth of diftinguifhed virtue and fobriety, refolutely 
withftood every temptation which a fet of profli- 
gate companions could invent to corrupt his morals, 
till one evening they contrived to make him drunk: 
the plot fucceeded, perhaps, beyond their expecta- 
tion. Heated with {trong liquor, to which till now 
he never had been accuftomed, he fallied forth in 
purfuit of adventure, and on that fatal night com- 
mitted robbery and murder! 
— 
Perfons 
